Latest news with #AnneWebster
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Ugly fight between ‘radical rock climbers' and traditional owners over world-famous site
An ugly battle between traditional owners who want to ban rock climbers from the world famous Mount Arapiles in Victoria and locals has spilled over with a Nationals MP subjected to a humiliating walkout at a conference in Canberra. Nationals MP Anne Webster has revealed she was left 'shocked' after her speech to the Australian Local Government Association exploded into controversy when she raised concerns over the cultural bans. Mount Arapiles' traditional owners have lashed out at the Victorian Government, accusing them of consulting a 'radical rock climbing minority' over the decision to close large areas of the world-famous national park. The stoush echoes the controversy over the decision to ban tourists climbing Uluru in 2019. But as controversy rages over Mount Arapiles, Ms Webster's remarks prompted a group of attendees to walk out of her address in a move that has become the talk of the gathering of local councils across Australia. 'It's a conversation that I think we need to have,' Ms Webster told 'We are thinking around 20 walked out, and some of the council members who didn't walk out, but know the people on their council who walked out said that they are having difficulty with those members anyway. 'That's for them to deal with. I'm not engaging in that. I was giving three examples of where this is occurring, whether it's a personal business, whether it's private farming land or the Mount Arapiles situation, and people are finding it extraordinarily difficult.' At first, Ms Webster said she didn't understand what was going on after attendees started to storm out before her speech concluded. 'It surprised me. Certainly. I was like, 'Oh, they must have somewhere else to go?' she said. 'That's what I was thinking as they were leaving. 'I certainly hadn't finished speaking. It's just one of those things, and it's certainly a good learning experience for me. I've been in the job for three weeks. Yeah, so you know a bit to learn. I think it's just, it's all about ensuring that tone is appropriate, that you give space for alternative views. 'I might have emphasised a little more clearly, for example, but this is a conversation, and different views need to be heard. I'm certainly keen to hear alternate views.' ALGA President Mayor Matt Burnett told that the organisation was committed to Closing the Gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians and that many members were passionate about the issue. 'As a proud signatory to the National Closing the Gap Agreement, ALGA supports shared decision-making at a community level,'' he said. 'Working side-by-side with other levels of government, we are committed to helping Close the Gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.' In a letter to the Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, Dylan Clarke, chairman of the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, slammed the push to hold public consultations on the Parks Victoria draft management plan. The proposal calls for the closure of up to half of climbing routes at Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park. 'Moving forward with an unnecessary and unprecedented consultation extension and Working group creation has the serious potential to draw into question the purposes, objectives, principles and applications of the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010, the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, and the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2018,' Mr Clarke wrote. 'We urge you to remain steadfast during this critical time and not to deviate from the current plan due to a radical rock-climbing minority who have launched a misinformation campaign aimed at undermining cultural heritage laws.' However, Mike Tonkins, Australian Climbing Association Victoria president warned any move to close Mt Arapiles set a worrying precedent for public land closures across the state. The latest stand-off comes after huge public backlash to the Parks Victoria plan. The Allan government is exploring how it can let people continue to rock climb at the world famous Mt Arapiles amid a community backlash. 'If the appalling work that led to Labor's ban on rock climbing in the Grampians and Mt Arapiles warrants sacking the Parks Victoria CEO, then the Minister has no choice to immediately scrap the ban. If these discredited rock climbing bans aren't immediately reversed, the Minister should be sacked too,' Victoria's Deputy Nationals leader Emma Kealy said.
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Nationals MP Anne Webster drops request for protection orders against One Nation supporter
National Party MP Anne Webster and her husband Philip Webster have dropped a request for personal safety intervention orders against a One Nation supporter after an altercation at a Mildura car show. The Mildura Magistrate's Court put interim orders in place in April barring One Nation supporter Dean Lampard from contacting or approaching the Websters until Mr Lampard could obtain a lawyer. On Friday, the Victorian Solicitor General's Office dropped the application, saying it was unlikely to be approved. Magistrate Patrick Southey told the court Mr Lampard had made "nonsense" allegations against the Websters of corruption and paedophilia. "[They] were offensive, defamatory, crackpot, conspiracy theory allegations that hold no basis whatsoever," Magistrate Patrick Southey told the court. "If there was any shred of truth, [Anne Webster] wouldn't be a Member of Parliament and [Philip Webster] wouldn't be a doctor." Mr Lampard's lawyer Jamie Griffin said there was no evidence to suggest Mr Lampard's allegations against the Websters were "crackpot" or "conspiracy theory'. The court heard Mr Lampard made the accusations against the Websters when he went to Anne Webster's Mildura office on March 1. The court heard on that occasion, she did not like what was said by Mr Lampard and asked him to leave. Six weeks later, on Good Friday, Dr Webster's husband approached Mr Lampard at a car show with two of her staff and a security guard. Mr Griffin previously told the court there was "a conversation and pushing and shoving", with Mr Webster shoving Mr Lampard. He said there were no allegations of assault or threats by his client at the car show, and that he left of his own accord. "How can it be said that Mr Webster has any fear at all when he approaches my client, assaults my client, and my client leaves?" he asked the court. The court heard Mr Griffin contested the legitimacy of the interim orders that he described as baseless and without proof of criminal conduct. Mr Griffin told the court he found it questionable that a senior detective at Mildura Police Station brought the application to court in the first place. "It's exceptional that a matter like this, first of all, is prosecuted by a senior detective where there is no crime alleged here," Mr Griffin told the court. "The base of the claim is that there is a chance Mr Lampard may, in the future, make some other comment or approach Ms Webster." The media was denied a copy of the affidavit supporting the allegations made by the Websters against Mr Lampard because "it was protected information". Magistrate Southey told the court he believed the application for the interim orders had been made in good faith, despite them being withdrawn. "Is that largely because it's unlikely you can prove there is an ongoing likelihood of misbehaviour, is that the reason?" Magistrate Patrick Southey asked the lawyer for the Websters. Solicitor for the government, Nadia Deltondo, replied, "There are a number of reasons that unfortunately I can't answer." An application to have the Websters pay Mr Lampard's court costs was refused. Dr Webster retained the seat of Mallee in the May election with a slight swing toward her, in what is considered a safe seat. She was elevated three weeks ago to shadow minister for regional development, local government and territories and shadow minister for regional communications. The Websters were not in court for Friday's hearing.
Sky News AU
19-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Mind-bending': Labor is ‘powering on' renewables and it is failing regional communities
Shadow Minister for Regional Development Anne Webster states the Victorian and Federal Labor governments are making strides toward their net-zero goals, asserting this is detrimental to regional communities. 'It is honestly mind-bending that the Victorian government and Chris Bowen at a federal level are now powering on in his second term to get this job done,' Ms Webster told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'Let's face it, all their targets are in place, and they can't fail – the problem is they're failing regional communities.'
Sky News AU
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Going to happen anyway': Labor is blinded by green ideology
Shadow Minister for Regional Development Anne Webster recounts Victorian Minister for Energy Lily D'Ambrosio's meeting in Wycheproof and Labor's obsession with green ideology. 'Lily D'Ambrosio, the Minister for Energy in Victoria travelled to Wycheproof … to meet with local community,' Ms Webster told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'They tried to explain to her how damaging this whole renewable's rollout, the railroading of their communities, the dividing up of their communities, the impact it is having on mental health and on people's sense of wellbeing. 'At the end, she said, it's going to happen anyway.'
Sky News AU
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Albanese government ‘not providing enough' to farmers experiencing drought
Shadow Regional Development Minister Anne Webster claims the Albanese government is not doing 'enough' in farmers' 'time of crisis' of droughts hitting rural Victoria and New South Wales. 'It doesn't let the government off the hook,' Ms Webster told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'What the government is providing is not enough. 'Farmers are desperately needing a breather.'
